Maestro move: Young Brit stick wins Dutch orch
mainThe new principal conductor of the Hague’s Residentie Orkest is…. Nicholas Collon.
The orch is rebranding itself The Hague Philharmonic (er, why?)
Collon will conduct six weeks a year.
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One of two principal conductors as part of the orchestra’s new structure doing away with a chief conductor. Amazing how these details get lost in PR puff.
The other principal conductor is Jan Willem de Vriend. I wish them both luck. Since the dreadful cut backs of 30% some years ago, the reshaped orchestra is simply too small to play big symphonic pieces of Mahler or Shostakovich — they will need the help of members of the Rotterdam Philharmonic for that. And at the end of this season, the Residentie Orchestra will have to move to a temporary hall until a new cultural centre is ready (hopefully in 2019). I hope that the financial situation of the orchestra will stabilize the coming years.
Hi Norman, this comment is not related to your post. just wanted to inform you about the Khachaturian Violin competition 2015:
During the last 2 weeks the Khachaturian competition was held in Yerevan (Armenia). As usual the winners were student of jury members. I just read an article which describes what happened during the competition (:
http://hetq.am/eng/news/60888/presidential-advisor-waves-magic-wand-to-get-desired-results-in-khachaturian-violin-competition.html
BTW the best contestant during this competition was an Armenian from Siberia who studies in Moscow (Elena Tarosyan). Surprisingly she didn’t pass the 2nd round!!
Dumb branding move. Stupid to give up the part (“Residentie”) that lent uniqueness and distinction! Imagine: “Leipzig Symphony Orchestra.”
I would like to point out that the orchestra is not rebranding itself with the name The Hague Philharmonic, that has always been the English name of the Residentie Orkest.
The orchestra has been rebranding itself with new concerts, new concepts and new marketing strategies.
That’s funny. I’ve been an English speaker all my life and an observer of the Dutch orchestra scene for 40 years, and recently a concertgoer at the little Philipszaal as well, and have never noticed the phrase “The Hague Philharmonic.” To me, it has always been the Residentie.
I too am an English speaker and I remember that it was billed as The Hague Philharmonic on a 10 inch Philips LP of the Saint Saens 3rd symphony, conducted by the estimable Willem van Otterloo with Feike Asma playing the organ. This was in the 1950s. Perhaps I have a longer memory than Olassus.
You will notice that Norman also seemed surprised by the phrase “The Hague Philharmonic.”
We can at least say that the policy of fostering an English co-name has been a dead end, despite your old record label.
Long live the “Residentie-Orkest.”
I had Beethoven 9 on a Philips LP bought around 1958, recorded 1954, conducted by Van Otterloo,. The orchestra was given as The Hague Philharmonic. They were always called that on their Philips LPs sold in the UK at that time.
Whilst on tour abroad it has always been called The Hague Philharmonic, check out International concertreviews from the 50’s or this Clare Haskill recording of sometime ago:
http://www.universalmusic.nl/ondemand/artiesten/271617
This American was favorably impressed with Mr. Collon’s conducting of Vaughan WIlliams’ “Pastoral” Symphony last October at South Bank. A very astute choice by the Dutch.
Perhaps it identfies as The Hague Philharmonic (pace Ms Dolezal).
Strikes me that this might have implications also for the CBSO. There is some evidence to suggest that Colon and Lahav Shani are/were the leading contenders to succeed Nelsons (indeed, I believe this blog agrees with that analysis). If so, then I hope the orchestra signs up Shani a.s.a.p. His Prokofiev 5 last year was quite sensational, and he seemed to many of us to be the ‘real deal’.
Many apologies for the unfortunate misspelling of the maestro’s name. Poor man must have been suffering for years at the hands of clever- clever auto checkers like mine.